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Why being a VC sucks. Advice to anyone who wants to get into venture capital.

This is going to be BIG.

I usually direct people to this post --still hanging atop the search rankings for " How to be a VC analyst" years later. In VC, no one''s investment gets bought on the first day, or the second day, or the third day. All in all, not exactly a predictable lead sourcing strategy. Well, let me be the first to tell you.

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Here is How to Make Sense of Conflicting Startup Advice

Both Sides of the Table

Everybody has a blog these days and there is much advice to be had. Many startups now go through accelerators and have mentors passing through each day with advice – usually it’s conflicting. So far from not taking advice from other people – I want more advice, more data points, more opinions.

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Both Things Can Be True: Bias and Bad Fundraising Advice

This is going to be BIG.

The startup ecosystem is a terrific manufacturer of bad fundraising advice. They’ll tell you all about their strategy, the order of operations of who and how they pitched, the magic slides, the timing of the raise itself, etc. So what about all of the above statements—things that founders widely hold to be true barriers to fundraising?

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The Problem with Startup Advice

This is going to be BIG.

I'm often the last one to leave an event, held back by the most persistant of entrepreneurs trying to squeeze as much advice as they can out of me. Often times, the advice is terrible or impractical. So much of this is gut feel with a thin later of strategy retrofitted to seem more than random. Why should that stop me, though?

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Are MBAs Necessary for Start-ups or VC?

Both Sides of the Table

I came across this blog post about getting a computer science degree as the best degree for getting into venture capital or working at a VC-backed start up. I just completed an exercise where I went out to hire a new associate for my VC firm, GRP Partners. I had to laugh a bit reading it. MBA fine, but not required. What you gain: 1.

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What I Would Look for When Choosing a VC – Knowing What I Know Now?

Both Sides of the Table

Picking a VC is hard. So I thought I’d write about out with what I would look for in a VC knowing what I know now and why. Most VCs are book smart. VCs should be more of a coach than proscriptively telling you what to do. You want a VC who will spar with you but then STFU and let you get on with things.

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Why Startups Need a Well Articulated Strategy (And How to Think About Yours)

Both Sides of the Table

I recommend you read Fred Wilson’s recent blog post about the need for a well articulated business strategy before pushing a particular business model. I guess this is the ultimate definition of implementing a business model when you’re not clear on strategy! The Need for Strategy. My take on his argument is this: 1.

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